Cork's Hayes channels legendary clubmate Cotter, Manley praises players

A strong Leeside contingent made the return trip to Jones’ Road for the PwC Camogie All-Stars on a night of glitz, glamour and celebration on Friday, when former players that have gone on to achieve on the international stage, European 1500m champion Ciara Mageean and Irish hockey captain Katie Mullan, were in attendance as guests of honour.

While the attire was different, the result was the same for it was Cork that came away the big winners once again.

Laura Hayes was voted the PwC GPA senior Player of the Year by her peers, seeing off the challenges of fellow nominees, close friend and Rebel teammate Saoirse McCarthy, and Galway dynamo, Aoife Donohue, the 2021 POTY.

Hayes was one of eight PwC All-Stars for the Blood and Bandage, while Ger Manley, who took over from Matthew Twomey as boss this season after two years as coach, succeeded the Douglas man as Manager of the Year.

Hayes (right half-back, 2nd award) and McCarthy (right half-forward, 3) were joined on the team by goalkeeper Amy Lee (2), left corner-back Pamela Mackey (5), centre-back Laura Treacy (4), midfielder Ashling Thompson (4), Katrina Mackey at full-forward (8) and right corner-forward Amy O’Connor (3).

Donohue was earning her fifth award, selected on this occasion at midfield, having previously also been a winner among the forwards. Galway had five representatives in total, with Dervla Higgins (right corner-back, 2), Róisín Black (full-back, 2), Carrie Dolan (left half-forward, 1) and Niamh Mallon (right corner-forward, 1) also honoured.

Dolan and Mallon were among three first-time winners, with Dublin’s Claire Gannon the other, chosen at left half-back.

The team was completed by Karen Kennedy, from Very League champions Tipperary. Kennedy is one of seven survivors from last year’s team – Lee, Black, Treacy, McCarthy, Katrina Mackey and O’Connor are the others – having been chosen in defence 12 months ago.

McCarthy has now won awards in defence, midfield and attack.

Another stat of interest was that it was the fourth time the Mackey twins had won awards in the same year, having first been selected in 2012. Katrina is the active player with the most All-Star awards. Her tally of eight is three short of the record of eleven held by long-time former Cork teammate, Gemma O’Connor.

The nominees were described by Mageean as “my heroes,” in a short speech after receiving a presentation in honour of her major championship success earlier this year.

“This is such a huge honour,” said Mageean, who earned her stripes on the camogie fields of Portaferry in Down, alongside her childhood friend, Mallon. “It's a dream to be here. I dreamt of winning an All-Star and that won't happen for me now so you're living my dream now. You are my heroes. I don’t play anymore but I still consider myself a camog.

“One of the upsides of missing the Olympics (through injury) was that I got back for the All-Ireland final and to watch my clubmate play, Niamh Mallon, who's nominated for an All-Star tonight.” 

As Mageean emphasised, even though she earned a rapturous ovation, the night was about the camogie stars of today, however, and Hayes was top of the tree. The St Catherine’s star thought of the example set by legendary clubmate Orla Cotter, a six-time All-Star and elite role model she had set as the bar from the time she started playing.

“It’s just such an honour, especially when it's a player's vote as well,” said Hayes of the recognition.

“For me growing up, I really admired Orla Cotter. It’s very well known around our area, I knew everything and anything about her. I was completely starstruck. And then in 2018, when Paudie Murray called me in to the Cork panel, I ended up playing with her. So my aspiration was always to be like her, to play for St Catherine’s, to play for Cork, and to win the All-Ireland, to be going up the steps of the Hogan Stand.

“But to go beyond that, it’s nice to be nominated for an All-Star and then for Player of the Year. It’s just surreal.

“It’s always a great night, the one night of the year where you kind of cross the borders to the other teams and chat away. When you've your helmet on and you're on the field, you don't really see other people's personalities, everyone's locked in so you actually get to know them on a night out like the PwC All-Stars.

“And it's great too to have an occasion for your family to come with you, for your club and for Cork as well.” Hayes also insisted that she would not have been recognised were it not for the efforts of her teammates and Manley delivered a similar message after he received his award.

“They’re elite athletes. They’re phenomenal. They’ll do anything you ask of them but it’s what they put in when we’re not training is why they get their rewards,” said Manley.

“I think the camogie standard has improved throughout the last couple of years, all the teams. I think we drove it on a bit last year and this year, we were a bit more consistent and I think that paid the way for us but the girls are phenomenal and that’s the reason I’m here. The players make the difference and we’ve an exceptional bunch in Cork.

The PwC Soaring Stars team was also named and there were six members of Cork’s Glen Dimplex All-Ireland intermediate-winning side involved, with four from beaten finalists Kilkenny, two from premier junior championship runners-up Laois and one each from premier junior champions Tipperary, Kerry and Offaly.

The PwC GPA Players of the Year were earning consolation after suffering the agony of narrow All-Ireland final losses, with Kilkenny’s Danielle Morrissey securing the intermediate crown and Clodagh Tynan, of Laois, named as the standout premier junior performer.